Title 40
SECTION 90.508
90.508 Test procedures.
§ 90.508 Test procedures.(a) For nonroad engines subject to the provisions of this subpart, the prescribed test procedures are the appropriate small SI engine test procedures as described in subpart E of this part.
(b)(1) The manufacturer shall not adjust, repair, prepare, or modify the engines selected for testing and shall not perform any emission tests on engines selected for testing pursuant to the test order unless this adjustment, repair, preparation, modification, and/or tests are documented in the manufacturer's engine assembly and inspection procedures and are actually performed or unless these adjustments and/or tests are required or permitted under this subpart or are approved in advance by the Administrator.
(2) The Administrator may adjust or cause to be adjusted any engine parameter which the Administrator has determined to be subject to adjustment for certification and Selective Enforcement Audit testing in accordance with § 90.112(c), to any setting within the physically adjustable range of that parameter, as determined by the Administrator in accordance with § 90.112(a), prior to the performance of any tests. However, if the idle speed parameter is one which the Administrator has determined to be subject to adjustment, the Administrator shall not adjust it to any setting which causes a lower engine idle speed than would have been possible within the physically adjustable range of the idle speed parameter if the manufacturer had accumulated 12 hours of service on the engine under paragraph (c) of this section, all other parameters being identically adjusted for the purpose of the comparison. The manufacturer may be requested to supply information needed to establish an alternate minimum idle speed. The Administrator, in making or specifying these adjustments, may consider the effect of the deviation from the manufacturer's recommended setting on emission performance characteristics as well as the likelihood that similar settings will occur on in-use engines. In determining likelihood, the Administrator may consider factors such as, but not limited to, the effect of the adjustment on engine performance characteristics and surveillance information from similar in-use engines.
(c) Service Accumulation. Prior to performing exhaust emission testing on an SEA test engine, the manufacturer may accumulate on each engine a number of hours of service equal to the greater of 12 hours or the number of hours the manufacturer accumulated during certification on the emission data engine corresponding to the family specified in the test order.
(1) Service accumulation must be performed in a manner using good engineering judgment to obtain emission results representative of normal production engines. This service accumulation must be consistent with the new engine break-in instructions contained in the applicable owner's manual.
(2) The manufacturer shall accumulate service at a minimum rate of 12 hours per engine during each 24-hour period, unless otherwise approved by the Administrator.
(i) The first 24 hour period for service shall begin as soon as authorized checks, inspections, and preparations are completed on each engine.
(ii) The minimum service or mileage accumulation rate does not apply on weekends or holidays.
(iii) If the manufacturer's service or target is less than the minimum rate specified (12 hours per day), then the minimum daily accumulation rate shall be equal to the manufacturer's service target.
(3) Service accumulation shall be completed on a sufficient number of test engines during consecutive 24-hour periods to assure that the number of engines tested per day fulfills the requirements of paragraphs (g)(1) and (g)(2) of this section.
(d) The manufacturer shall not perform any maintenance on test engines after selection for testing, nor shall the Administrator allow deletion of any engine from the test sequence, unless requested by the manufacturer and approved by the Administrator before any engine maintenance or deletion.
(e) The manufacturer shall expeditiously ship test engines from the point of selection to the test facility. If the test facility is not located at or in close proximity to the point of selection, the manufacturer shall assure that test engines arrive at the test facility within 24 hours of selection, except that the Administrator may approve more time for shipment based upon a request by the manufacturer accompanied by a satisfactory justification.
(f) If an engine cannot complete the service accumulation or an emission test because of a malfunction, the manufacturer may request that the Administrator authorize either the repair of that engine or its deletion from the test sequence.
(g) Whenever a manufacturer conducts testing pursuant to a test order issued under this subpart, the manufacturer shall notify the Administrator within one working day of receipt of the test order as to which test facility will be used to comply with the test order. If no test cells are available at a desired facility, the manufacturer must provide alternate testing capability satisfactory to the Administrator.
(1) A manufacturer with projected nonroad engine sales for the United States market for the applicable year of 7,500 or greater shall complete emission testing at a minimum rate of two engines per 24-hour period, including each voided test.
(2) A manufacturer with projected nonroad engine sales for the United States market for the applicable year of less than 7,500 shall complete emission testing at a minimum rate of one engine per 24-hour period, including each voided test.
(3) The Administrator may approve a lower daily rate of emission testing based upon a request by a manufacturer accompanied by a satisfactory justification.
(h) The manufacturer shall perform test engine selection, shipping, preparation, service accumulation, and testing in such a manner as to assure that the audit is performed in an expeditious manner.
(i) Retesting. (1) The manufacturer may retest any engines tested during a Selective Enforcement Audit once a fail decision for the audit has been reached in accordance with § 90.510(e).
(2) The Administrator may approve retesting at other times based upon a request by the manufacturer accompanied by a satisfactory justification.
(3) The manufacturer may retest each engine a total of three times. The manufacturer shall test each engine or vehicle the same number of times. The manufacturer may accumulate additional service before conducting a retest, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c) of this section.
(j) A manufacturer may test engines with the test procedure specified in subpart E of this part to demonstrate compliance with the exhaust emission standards; however, if alternate procedures were used in certification pursuant to § 90.120, then those alternate procedures shall be used.